As a specialized educational and research art library, the Library of the Athens School of Fine Arts shapes its collection development policy in accordance with the educational and research objectives of ASFA. The Library’s collections provide a wealth of information aimed at broadening the knowledge and research interests not only of the educational and artistic community, but also of the wider public.
The Library’s collection includes various forms of informational material (printed, audiovisual, and electronic). It covers all fields of the humanities, while placing particular emphasis on the arts and especially the visual arts, which are developed extensively both in depth and breadth. The collection includes more than 72,000 bibliographic records and 592 journal titles, and is continuously enriched with new material.
Access to the main collection of books and audiovisual material is open to the public. Access to older journal issues, the special collection, and the poster and invitation collection requires prior communication with the Library staff. The Historical Archive collection of ASFA is accessible only upon filling of the application.
Includes:
- Books
- Reference material (encyclopedias, dictionaries, guides)
- Serials
The Alphabetical Catalog of ASFA Printed Serials indicates the location of the journals within the Library premises. In cases where the material is located in the basement or within the Special Collection, a relevant Application must be submitted in advance.
This collection includes the personal library and archive of the internationally renowned exhibition curator Christos Ioakeimidis. It is an exceptionally important collection of books and journals focused on modern art.
Christos Ioakeimidis (1932–2017) was one of the most significant postwar art historians and exhibition curators with international recognition.
Born in Athens, he studied philosophy, art history, and sociology in Germany. He was primarily active in Berlin and played a decisive role in the development of European art from the 1970s onward. His theoretical approaches, deeply influenced by sociopolitical developments, established him as a pioneer in exhibition curation, which he regarded not merely as the presentation of artworks, but also as a tool for public dialogue.
Throughout his long career, he collaborated with some of the most important figures in international art, including Joseph Beuys, Georg Baselitz, and Jannis Kounellis, among others. He also co-curated landmark exhibitions such as A New Spirit in Painting (1981), Zeitgeist (1982-83), Metropolis (1991), American Art in the 20th Century (1993) and Outlook (2003). The latter was held in Athens and sparked extensive public debate regarding art and the limits of censorship.
His relationship with the Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA) was deep and substantial. In 2011, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the School, and in 2014 he donated his library and archive to the ASFA Library, making a decisive contribution to the creation of a valuable documentation center for the history of art and exhibition curation.
The Library collects, records, and documents exhibition posters and invitations in both printed and digital form relating to:
a. members of the ASFA teaching staff
b. ASFA students and graduates
c. events and activities organized within the framework of ASFA’s operation
d. events and activities taking place within ASFA premises
The collection includes more than 2,000 posters and more than 3,000 exhibition invitations. The earliest recorded exhibition posters date approximately to the 1960s.
The digital collection of posters and invitations will be accessible and openly available to the public through the Digital Library platform.
The printed collection of posters and invitations is currently not open to the public. However, for educational purposes, members of the academic community may be granted access to study part of the collection following consultation with the Library Administration.
The collection is currently under processing and is continuously being enriched.
Includes:
- Old Books (1763–1925) and valuable editions: Books containing original works by artists, engravings, silkscreen prints, and other artistic material; rare and numbered editions; books printed on handmade paper or with special printing techniques; and books bearing signatures and dedications by renowned artists or authors. The collection also includes the twelve-volume archaeological work documenting Egypt and Ethiopia: ''Denkmäler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien: / herausgegeben und erläutert von C. R. Lepsius, Berlin, Nicolaische Buchhandlung [1849-56].
- Magazines: Nineteenth-century art serials, as well as the serial ''Cahiers d’Art'' by Christian Zervos.
- Prints: Includes 600 prints from the Louvre Museum, acquired during the 1950s and used as educational material in the School’s workshops.
- Collection of the Workshop of the Art of the Book: Includes works created within the Workshop of the Art of the Book, such as 180 artists’ books, art objects, posters, and related material.
- Giannis Kefallinos Collection: The personal library of the important engraver and School professor Giannis Kefallinos (1894–1957), which includes, among other items, original engravings by the artist himself as well as works by his students.
- Helmut von den Steinen Collection : The personal library of the German philhellene professor Helmut von den Steinen, scholar and commentator of Plato. It includes first editions of Greek literary works with handwritten dedications by their authors.
- Bookbinding – gold printing and engraving tools delivered by the Professor of the First Engraving Workshop, Mr. Ioannis Gourzis.
As a specialized educational and research art library, the Library of the Athens School of Fine Arts shapes its collection development policy in accordance with the educational and research objectives of ASFA. The Library’s collections provide a wealth of information aimed at broadening the knowledge and research interests not only of the educational and artistic community, but also of the wider public.